Gwyneth Goes Skiing! (Again!)

For 10 days in May, I and my fellow Americans will have the chance to see “Gwyneth Goes Skiing” without leaving the country. The hit London show is coming to the Egyptian Theatre in Park City May 16-26.

There’s no word yet on whether actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow will be there, but having seen the musical in London, I can promise that the cast — two men and a puppet — put on quite a show.

The work of Joseph Martin and Linus Karp of Awkward Productions, “Gwyneth Goes Skiing” is the very silly, very entertaining play about Paltrow’s collision with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson at the Deer Valley ski resort. Their encounter resulted in a trial in Park City that mesmerized the world (and made some of its principals famous), which in turn resulted in this production. The show was so well received that Martin and Karp added an additional run at the Pleasance Theatre, and now they’re ready to make their American debut.

As I wrote in December, “Martin and Karp’s production is a rowdy, joke-a-minute retelling of the trial between Gwyneth Paltrow and Terry Sanderson. The heightened reality created by Martin and Karp both highlights the truth of the trial, often stranger than fiction, and the whimsy surrealism possible when life becomes art, and one finds oneself watching their hometown shown on a stage 5,000 miles from home.”

Matthew Prince, CEO and co-founder of CloudFlare and owner of the Park Record, which originally published my review, reached out to the producers shortly after he heard about the show. Prince developed a love for theater when he worked as a theatrical technician for Salt Lake Acting Company one summer. That love grew when he lived in London for a while and frequented shows while there, including small productions on the scale of “Gwyneth Goes Skiing.” He told me that bringing the play to Park City felt like a fun way to enrich the Park City community, so he asked the Awkward Productions team if they’d be interested in making their American debut if he covered their flights and lodging. The answer from Martin and Karp was an enthusiastic yes.

Next, Prince reached out to the Egyptian Theatre director, Randy Barton, to see if he was interested in having the show on his stage. “It was kind of a no-brainer,” Barton told me. “All the locals thought (the idea of the play) was just so funny.” Barton and Prince agreed that proceeds from the show should go toward the Egyptian’s YouTheatre program, a tuition-free program that allows kids to participate in theater productions. Enrollment in the program has tripled in recent years, and the ticket sales will go a long way to support the staff and cover their overhead costs.

In addition to supporting a good cause, Barton believes that the irreverent play is a perfect fit for Park City’s unique culture. “We want it to be one of those bizarre only-in-Park City, drop-down fun shows,” he said.

Prince, too, hopes that the show will be fun for the city, the attendees and the performers. “I just hope that it’s a great event for the community and continues what the Egyptian does well — quirky, local, fun culture in our little town,” he said. He added, “I hope that the team from London who comes here feels really welcome and has a good time.”

Karp and Martin seem more than ready to have a spectacular time in Utah. When we talked, they spoke excitedly about their plans to visit the actual spot on the Deer Valley mountain where Paltrow and Sanderson collided, see “that big choir” perform, visit the Park City courtroom where the trial happened, and meet the deer of Deer Valley — a reference to one of the more absurd punchlines from their script. “This is such a ridiculous, exciting opportunity,” Karp said. “To bring it back to where (the collision) happened is so wild.”

Since I saw “Gwyneth Goes Skiing” shortly after it opened in November, Martin and Karp have made a number of changes to the play, including a new and improved puppet, new songs and “new jokes all over the place.” They wonder if some of those jokes and references will land even better in Utah than they did for British audiences. That seems likely, given how excited the residents of Park City are for the show. Tickets are selling well, according to Barton, and Prince said that when the Egyptian’s lineup was announced at a recent show, the crowd erupted in applause when they heard “Gwyneth Goes Skiing.”

“There are not very many shows that do their previews on the Strand in London and then debut on Main Street in Park City,” Prince said.

The producers and actors are hoping that Paltrow will consider coming. “If she expresses an interest, I will personally find a way to finance her jet,” Martin said. He and Karp believe that the actress would enjoy the play and “embrace it with the love that was intended.” As for everyone else, Karp says, with a wink, that they can expect “a very accurate, truthful retelling of what happened on the slopes.”

“It’s not how you remember it, but in some ways even more real,” Martin said. “The nicest compliment we get is from people who say they had no idea what they were going to get — and love it.”

Tickets for “Gwyneth Goes Skiing” are available on the Egyptian Theatre website for $40-$60.